Old Uncle Joe Stalin is still much admired in Russia because he was a great leader. The Russia that Stalin found was backward and still essentially feudal society. But in a short time Stalin transformed Russia into a modern industrial powerhouse, with huge output in industries like steel, coal, electrical power, machinery and military goods. Life did get better for the vast majority of Russians under Stalin's reign. Not everyone was a dissident or malcontent in Russia. Then as now the vast majority of people in Russia (as in the United States) simply accept the social system as it is, and try to get on with their lives as best they can. Stalin left Russia much stronger and more prosperous than he found it.

I think some of the people who post comments on this blog do more to advance the cause of of "russophobia" than the blog itself.

Stalin terrorized Russians to the point of almost pemanently mutating them as a people. He is the main reason Russians are so paranoid and cowardly in their dealings with each other and espcially with the authorities to this day. I completely reject the notion that Russians were always this way. Brutally removing millions of "dissidents and malcontents" from society has lasting effects on those left behind.

Stalin also left all of Russia's natural allies (including, ironically, his native Georgia) permanantly furious at Russia for the brutal subjugation he visited on them. Stonger indeed. Stalin left Russia an empty shell of a country, with an infantalized population surrounded by future enemies and incapable of understanding why. He doomed Russia to the repeated waves of self-destruction that have only just begun.